


Worlds Apart

by chopstickpup



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Short & Sweet, Sweet, Young Soldier: 76 | Jack Morrison
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-30
Updated: 2020-09-30
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:07:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26732611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chopstickpup/pseuds/chopstickpup
Summary: The soldier watched as the woman took her time to gather herself back up. He was silent, shifting in his spot on her couch. It was a little uncomfortable to see that he had made her a mess. Even if he wasn’t quite sure how he had done it.“Mor-” the soldier stopped before shaking his head and continuing. “Jack. You can call me Jack. What happened? Why am I in your apartment? Where is all my stuff?” he questioned, gesturing to himself at the last question. He was dressed in loose pants and that seemed to be it. Now, he didn’t mind getting undressed by a girl, but he would have preferred it to be while he was conscious and not the only one undressing.
Relationships: Soldier: 76 | Jack Morrison/Original Character(s)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 4





	Worlds Apart

**Author's Note:**

> This is a commission another commission and I had so much fun writing it! I haven't deep dived into the lore of Overwatch in a long time and it was tons of fun getting back into a game that I loved before and had stepped away from. I hope you enjoy reading this! Thanks for peeking in. <3

  
Melanie watched the man as he seemed to hover in and out of consciousness. She placed a cool rag on his forehead, biting her lip as she watched him in silence. More than anything, she wanted this man to wake up and to tell her that he was okay. With a sigh, she pulled the blanket up over him and tucked it under his chin. At the very least, she could make sure that he wasn’t going to get any worse while he was here. 

The hospitals were full to the brim. The war had taken a huge toll on the world around them. There was always news going around of how there were hardly any beds for those folks that were sick with the usual things, let alone some of the soldiers that were being given to whichever facility was the closest. 

Besides. This one didn’t look like he was hurting that bad. Right? He was breathing a little fast, but he didn’t seem like he was dying. There was no huge puddles of blood that she had seen left in the ditch that she had found him. There wasn’t any bloodstains on his clothes. He seemed… more or less fine. Except for the fact that he wasn’t waking up properly. 

The woman knew someone. A friend of hers that she was working with at the diner. He was a medical student, and if something bad really did happen, she could always call him. Yes. That was perfect. That was a good plan. Melanie reached out a hand to gently brush the sleeping soldier’s cheek, sighing again. She stood up, making her way back into kitchen. Tea would help her relax, and the warm water could offer him some relaxation too maybe. There was still the possibility that the rain she had found him in had made him sicker than she knew. 

This soldier hadn’t deserved this. Melanie knew that for sure. Even if she didn’t know exactly who he was fighting for. He had a sweet heart, a handsome face, and a kind personality. She remembered serving the mysterious blonde at the diner - finding him passed out on the side of the road as she was walking home after that same shift. 

It had taken her some time, and some help, to get the soldier back into her home. A little apartment that this soldier just made look and feel even smaller. That was two nights ago. Melanie worried that he hadn’t quite woken up all the way yet. Enough for her to feed him soup every once in a while. Enough for her to get some water into him. But not enough to have been called ‘awake’ for any length of time. 

Melanie’s initial assumption was that he might have been hurting before he had been to the diner for food. Maybe he had just gotten off - or he had been around the area after he had helped to stop one of the riots that had taken place a few days ago. Had he been part of the soldiers that had put an end to it? She hadn’t asked in the moment at work; that would have seemed rude. But now she sort of regretted not getting to know him better. Melanie hadn’t even asked the soldier his name. Yet here he was, on her living room couch. Struggling to bring himself out of what she could only think of as nearly a coma. 

Soldiers were strong, though. Weren’t they? He could pull through.   
Melanie chewed on the inside of her cheek, her thoughts seeming to spin in circles. All of the answers that came to her mind seemed like they were the worse option. How was she supposed to know what the right thing to do was? She didn’t even know how hurt he was. 

The scream of the kettle brought Melanie back into the present. She drew in a shaky breath and let out a sigh. There was nothing more that she could do. She had to just keep doing what she was doing and not second guess herself. That was what she needed to do. She couldn’t help this man if she were too wrapped up in her own worries to do anything for him. 

Filling up the hot pack first, the woman sealed it shut and set it against the counter while she poured the last of the hot water into her mug. A tea bag or two were dropped in to start steeping while Melanie herself took the hot pack back to the soldier on the couch. She knelt down, carefully lifting the man’s head to rest the pack beneath his neck, covering it with a towel before she lay him back down on it. 

“There you go,” she whispered, brushing his blonde locks from his face. “Does that feel better?” Melanie stood, not waiting for the answer that she knew wouldn’t come. “I know it’s a little chilly in here. It doesn’t help that I don’t have many blankets. I’m sorry.” 

She returned to the kitchen, sighing. Wrapping her hands around her mug of tea, she closed her eyes and leaned against the counter.   


* * *

As Melanie finished her dinner, she returned to the living room where the soldier lay. She went about her nightly ritual of making sure that he was comfortable enough; fluffing up the pillow around his head, making sure the hot pack behind him was warm enough, making sure that he was all tucked into the blankets. 

She didn’t really mind doing it. It meant that she got to chatter to the unconscious man without him thinking of her as annoying. Plus, it was nice to talk to someone without having orders barked at her like at work. Even if this someone didn’t really respond. 

Though, the groaning that came from him as she moved him sometimes she took for an ambiguous answer to whatever question she had pestered him with previously. 

This noise, however, was different. The soldier had made a noise that sounded almost like he was in pain. Melanie dropped her arms from the pillow, having been trying to move it to a more comfortable spot beneath his head. She froze, looking down at the soldier and watched as his brows knit together, an angrier grunt coming from him now. Suddenly, his eyes snapped open and he seemed to let out a war cry, sitting up to suddenly that Melanie didn’t have enough time to move away from him. 

His head hit hers with a sharp crack and the next thing she knew was that she was laying on her back in the middle of her living room floor with the soldier standing over her. His face was creased with a frown, though it didn’t make him look any less handsome. 

“You’re awake,” she mumbled airily, a soft smile gracing her face. 

The soldier’s fingers brushed her hair aside, looking at the bump he had given her with a sigh. Shaking his head, he stood up and hobbled to her couch to fall back into the cushions. 

“I’d say the same about you,” he grunted, eyeing her for a moment before sighing. “Where am I?” 

Melanie felt the world around her seem to drop back into place as his rough voice filled her apartment. She sat up quickly, making herself dizzy. The woman had to brace against her coffee table, holding onto it so she didn’t fall crashing into it. How hard was this man’s head? 

“You’re awake!” she repeated, shock filling her voice this time. “Oh my god, you’re awake! I’m so happy!” 

The soldier huffed, his face a mixture of irritation and struggling patience. His free hand rose up to wave at her, nodding for her to continue as if he were giving her the permission to freak out or whatever it was that she was going to do. 

Melanie carefully pushed herself up into a proper sitting position, tears of relief pricking at the edge of her vision. She reached out to touch his knee, needing to find an anchor in the realism that he was definitely awake and this wasn’t a dream. 

“I’m so glad,” she repeated, quieter this time. She watched the soldier soften as he noticed her tears, sighing a little and looking away. “I’m so glad you’re okay. I’m sorry you’re not at the hospital. They don’t have any beds open nearby and I thought-” the woman paused, sniffling a little. That he was okay, that he was alive and sitting up and talking to her in her living room! It was overwhelming. She sniffled a little, happy enough that she couldn’t hide just how relieved she was like she would normally. 

“I’m sorry,” Melanie mumbled, shaking her head. Her hands rose, using her sleeves to wipe the dampness from her eyes. Pressing them into her eyes for a moment, the woman took a deep breath and looked back at the soldier. “I’m sorry,” she repeated. “I’m glad you’re okay. You’re in my home. I’m… Melanie.” 

The soldier watched as the woman took her time to gather herself back up. He was silent, shifting in his spot on her couch. It was a little uncomfortable to see that he had made her a mess. Even if he wasn’t quite sure how he had done it. 

“Mor-” the soldier stopped before shaking his head and continuing. “Jack. You can call me Jack. What happened? Why am I in your apartment? Where is all my stuff?” he questioned, gesturing to himself at the last question. He was dressed in loose pants and that seemed to be it. Now, he didn’t mind getting undressed by a girl, but he would have preferred it to be while he was conscious and not the only one undressing. 

Melanie made a soft, almost surprised sort of noise before she seemed to jump back up and onto her feet. She scurried off, her voice drifting over her shoulder, “One second! I’m so sorry!” 

Jack sat on the couch, blinking in confusion. He tilted his head to listen as there were noises of scrounging around in the one room at the end of the hall - her bedroom he assumed. The soldier leaned a little, peering into the hallway and down the hall to where she had disappeared, wondering what the hell she was up to. Sitting up straight and pretending to be looking at something else completely as Melanie came zipping out of the room and back toward him, Jack hummed lightly. 

“Here,” she said, her voice letting him know that it was okay to stop pretending like he hadn’t been watching. “Your clothes. They were wet and muddy when we got you home so… I thought it’d be nice to wake up to clean, dry clothes. I’ve got your comm-link and the rest of your stuff sitting on the dining room table over there. How are you feeling?” 

Jack reached out a hand, the one that wasn’t wrapped around his side, and accepted the clothes. He took them and let them fall onto his lap before glancing back up at Melanie. He shrugged a shoulder, tilting his head back to roll it and take a deep breath in. 

“Sore…” he answered honestly, gruffly, before repeating the most pressing question that he had. “What happened, though? You didn’t answer me.” 

The woman let out a soft sound, biting her lip again. She looked away, not at all knowing what to say. How was she supposed to tell him that she didn’t know what happened? Just… honestly, Melanie supposed. 

“I… uh. I found you,” she offered, looking back at the man with the slightest hint of fear in her eyes. “I found you a few days ago. On the side of the road, in the middle of the rain. Do you remember that night at the diner?” He thought for a moment before he nodded at the woman. “That was the same night that I found you. I don’t know what happened before then. You didn’t look like you were hurt that bad, but something must have happened because you’ve been out for… days.” 

Jack was quiet, brows furrowing as he struggled to remember what had happened to him. If this woman hadn’t seen it, then who knows? He would have to see if there had been any sort of security cameras around to know what really happened. Whatever had happened had hurt, though. It hurt to breathe, it hurt to talk, it hurt to listen to this woman talk so much…

He looked up at her again, noticing that she was still talking. 

“Hey, miss,” he interrupted. It wasn’t like he’d been listening beforehand. “So are you a nurse or something?” 

Melanie shook her head. “No. I’m just a waitress. I was walking home from the diner when I found you. I served you a few hours before that,” she explained. She let herself slide down to her knees, sitting in front of the soldier as she spoke. It would be less awkward than standing over him. 

“One of my friends that works there, though, he’s going through medical school right now. He took a look at you. He said you didn’t seem in any danger of dying, though even he couldn’t really figure out what had happened to you.” 

Jack watched her for a moment before he nodded. That seemed good enough for him. “Thanks,” he said, taking in a breath before standing up. 

“Wait!” Melanie said, jumping up with him. “What are you doing? Jack, you can’t just get up and walk away.” 

“Are you stopping me?” the soldier spoke, his voice gruff as he stared down at the woman. They were as different as light and day. Broad shouldered and muscled with the life of a man who did nothing except work and heavy labor versus a small woman who probably needed help carrying her groceries upstairs and into her apartment from time to time. 

“Yes!” she shot back, not bothering to dwell on the question at all. It was almost like the response was automatic. “You’re still hurt! Of course I’m going to stop you. Look at you! Jack, you’re holding onto your side like it’s going to fall off!” 

The soldier paused, frowning at the small woman in front of him. She wasn’t exceptionally meek, was she? Her arms crossed over her chest, and he had to admit that the look she was giving him made him want to sit back down. She felt like that girlfriend who was always too worried that something wrong was going to happen. 

Jack lifted his good hand defensively, backing up until the back of his knees touched the couch cushions again and he could sit back down. 

“Besides,” Melanie went on, “It’s not like you’re even dressed. Here. There’s some leftovers from dinner that I made. You can have those. And some tea, too. It’ll warm you up. You look pale. You haven’t eaten much since you got here.” 

“O…kay,” the soldier accepted. He wasn’t going to fight her. She really had hit the nail on the head there. It wasn’t like he felt okay enough to be going anywhere. Jack sighed, leaning his head back against the couch as the woman wandered off to the kitchen to get him the food that he hadn’t asked for. But, now that she mentioned it, he could smell the scent of something delicious wafting from the kitchen. His stomach seemed to rumble in agreement with Melanie and Jack closed his eyes in defeat. 

He would, at the very least, have to stay the night here. Maybe he’d feel better in the morning. Or maybe he would manage to wake up before this woman and sneak out of here. Jack really didn’t like the thought of spending too much time here. He had only stopped at the diner for food before leaving the city completely. He’d had orders to complete a mission elsewhere. 

“Melanie?” he questioned, lifting his head to look at her as she brought his food down. She looked up at him quizzically, and he continued. “Bring me my communicator.” 

“A please wouldn’t hurt,” she mumbled under her breath before she stood upright and wandered away from where she had left his plate of food and mug of tea. 

Melanie came back to sit beside the soldier, offering him the small ear and eye piece. She motioned at the food that he hadn’t seemed to touch yet.   
“Are you not hungry?” she questioned, watching as Jack attached the communication device to his head. 

He shook his head gently, “I just want to make sure that no one thinks that I’m dead,” he said, turning on the communicator. “I’ll eat in a second. If I don’t, you’ll try to feed me or something, huh?” His blue eyes shot a teasing sort of look at the woman and he couldn’t help but chuckle the slightest bit when she turned her face away quickly. He’d take bets that she was blushing. 

“Hello?” Jack’s attention went back to his communicator, hoping that there was someone at Overwatch HQ, or close enough to him to get his signal. “Is anyone there?” 

Melanie sat, hands balled up on her knees as she waited. She stared at the wall, not knowing what to do now. He was awake! That was fantastic. Outstanding! She had kept this man alive and well enough to recover! 

And she got a sassy grump who didn’t want to stay put long enough to recover. Of course that was what she ended up with. It was just her luck, wasn’t it? Cute face, sassy attitude. 

The woman heard voices coming from the other end of Jack’s communicator. She couldn’t really understand what they were saying - it was too muffled for her to get anything clearly. But apparently not for him. At least his tech still worked, then. She was glad for that. It meant that he wasn’t stranded. And with the crest that had been on his chest piece, she knew full well that it was for the best that he wasn’t stranded. Everyone knew the Overwatch branding. 

She stood up, wanting to give Jack the privacy that he probably wanted to talk to whoever was on the other side of that line. Melanie couldn’t help but feel a bit saddened. She had just spent the last handful of days taking care of a man she thought was on the brink of death. Honestly, Melanie sort of felt… lost now. Jack was awake, and he was able to get up and move around. Not the best, but he was able to do that. And if she knew anything about soldiers, that meant that he would be trying to leave as soon as he possibly could. Even if it meant hurting himself in the process. 

How was she supposed to tell him that she was worried? That she cared about him and didn’t want to see him hurt? She didn’t even know his name until, like, ten minutes ago! Would it be creepy? No, Melanie had seen plenty of those ridiculous love stories that… were… the same… as this. Damn it, she was just as stupid as those girls in the romance novels! Melanie huffed, her hands clenching on the countertop before she moved to the fridge. 

She was putting leftovers away into the fridge, angrily, when she heard his voice again. It rose up above the noises that she had been making, forcing her to look up and at those beautiful blue eyes that seemed to be studying her. 

“Hey. This is, uhh…” Jack paused, looking down at the food in front of him. His fork was in his hand, halfway between his mouth and the bowl. It looked like he was trying to talk, but his mouth couldn’t stand being empty. He shoved the bite of food into his mouth and chewed it down quickly before continuing, “This is really good. What is this?”

Melanie couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at the man, amusement dancing across her face. Was he trying to be polite now? Maybe Jack felt better knowing that people knew where he was now. The previous sourness seemed to have melted away as he devoured the food in front of him. 

“Chicken pot-pie,” she answered, leaning down to put the last of the leftovers into the fridge. She shut the door and made her way back to the couch, sitting beside the soldier once again. “I’m glad you like it. I’m sorry it’s not much. I don’t exactly make a lot. But it’s homemade. Mostly. Not the crust.” 

“It’s really good. Thank you,” Jack said, shaking his head. He smiled at the woman, reaching a hand out to place on top of hers. The soldier bowed his head a little, repeating himself. “Thank you.” His voice had taken on a solemn sort of tone, as if he was honestly thanking her for something truly deep. 

Melanie couldn’t help but make a soft, pffft sort of noise, heat rising to her face. “It was nothing!” she said quickly, too quickly. “I mean… of course it was something. I just… It was… I’m just glad you’re okay.” She spoke honestly, twisting her hand to squeeze his. She couldn’t look away from his eyes, they just seemed to catch her and hold her in. The smile on his face didn’t at all help. Melanie knew that she could get lost just staring at this man. 

Jack pulled away first, his attention returning to the pot-pie. Melanie could still feel the warmth of his hand on hers, sighing a little as she tried in vain to keep it there on her hand. 

“I spoke with my people. They know that I’m alive. I’ll stay tonight, but I really do need to be leaving tomorrow. In the morning,” Jack spoke between bites, not looking at the woman. He did feel guilty. It wasn’t as if he were trying to be rude, after all. He simply had a job to do. He was a soldier and there was war outside. 

“I want to thank you. I don’t know where I’d be if you hadn’t found me. I might be dead on the side of that street. Or worse,” he continued. “You’ve really helped me out. And if there’s anything that I can do for you, please. Let me know.” 

Melanie looked surprised, eyes widening as she looked at him. A hand rose to cover her mouth. She shook her head, looking away. 

“No, please,” she said, “Don’t worry about me. I’m not that important. Just… y’know. Don’t die. Be safe. If you’re safe, then I know that you’re keeping the rest of us safe.” Her words came quietly, and she looked at the floor. Her heart hurt in her chest, and she felt as if she was losing something. It was so stupid. Melanie looked back at the man, who smiled at her warmly. She felt her heart break more, but returned the smile.   


* * *

  


“Well. This is it.” 

“Are you sure that you’re well enough to go?” Melanie questioned, looking over the soldier. All of his gear was on him and he had his gun strapped onto his back. He looked, for all intents and, like a soldier leaving home to war. 

Jack sighed, looking down at the woman with a soft smile. She had been fretting at him from a distance all day. Never quite becoming a bother or getting too far up into his space, but he could still see her worrying off in the corner. 

“I’m fine,” he assured her. “I’ll be healed up once I get to where I’m going.” 

Melanie wasn’t too sure about that, but what choice did she have? She frowned at him but nodded. He spoke again and she bit her lip, his words not making it between her ears to process. Instead, she stepped forward, wrapping her arms around the man and hugging him. A soft, surprised noise came from Jack and she could feel it even through his armor. He raised a hand, awkwardly, to return the hug and she pulled away as he let her go after. 

“Please. Be safe…” 

“I will. Thank you.” 

Melanie nodded again, leaning against the doorway. She didn’t know what had come over her, but she felt as if she couldn’t let him leave without saying goodbye. It felt like if she did - even if she did - something terrible was going to happen. Melanie felt that he needed someone to be there with him. 

She wanted as Jack turned away from her and began walking. She didn’t wait to see him disappear into the sunset, though. Melanie turned her own way and went back into her home, her mind already made up. Jack was going to end up on the side of a road again. She could feel it in her heart, in her soul. 

_Someone_ had to do something.

Melanie felt like she was nothing else in life. But right now, she was choosing to be **someone**.


End file.
